Valient Thorr have always been a good times party hearty band and their unique blend of hardcore and rock and roll has a very real charm that has captured the imaginations of fans across the globe. Their latest offering, the almighty intergalactic call to arms that is Old Salt, is a fitting sequel to Our Own Masters, a record which I must admit is one of my favorite of all time. Old Salt, while perhaps not quite at that level, certainly shows us all that the band is capable of and heavily expands on what Valient Thorr can be whilst simultaneously staying true to the polemic that made all of us fall head over heels in the first place. Our Own Masters was an absolute motherfucker of a record with tons of hooks, big choruses and all sorts of other goodies to keep you coming back. Old Salt is a different beast, and while a lot of those core elements are still there, one gets the impression that Valient Thorr are moving on to a new and exciting phase of their career.
Old Salt is at its finest when it maintains its spirit of fun. That's why I love tracks like "The Shroud" or "Looking Glass": they are by definition happy songs. Musically they also often feel a step beyond the work on Our Own Masters with riffs that come off as a tad more complex and interesting. Sure the choruses aren't always the focal points that they were on previous releases, but that's because the band is growing. Just take "Linen Maker", a two minute acoustic guitar interlude, as an example. It's proof that this band is trying to go beyond. They are taking a trademark sound and growing it into something greater and very special. Hell, they are even writing epics now; if that's not a sign that this band has evolved over the last fifteen years no then I don't know what is. I'm still not sure how much of this evolution is good though, but it also takes me months to properly digest a Valient Thorr record, so maybe it will end up growing on me.
So, Old Salt isn't exactly what I was expecting from Valient Thorr and it's not totally the record I hoped for, even if it is damn good. It leaves me a little torn. Here I was hoping for tracks like "Good News, Bad News" and instead found songs like "The Trudge". Both tracks are awesome in their own right, but I've come to hope for something different from the band. I think that Valient Thorr have definitely proved that they are one of the most potent bands in heavy music and their music is going to capture your imagination if nothing else. The songs are a lot longer this time around and it's been a bit of a struggle for me to properly wrap my head around it. Still, I'm excited about the new, more thoughtful direction Valient Thorr find themselves moving in, I think there are some interesting days ahead.
Score: 7/10
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